<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Shovel Talk by Terminallydepraved</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705212">Shovel Talk</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terminallydepraved/pseuds/Terminallydepraved'>Terminallydepraved</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dakeverse [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Dakeverse, Fluff and Humor, Kidnapping, Letifer-verse, M/M, Misunderstandings, Shovel Talk, Vampires</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:48:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terminallydepraved/pseuds/Terminallydepraved</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only a matter of time before Connor insisted on meeting the man ballsy enough to date his brother.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor/Elijah Kamski, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dakeverse [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1318424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>171</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shovel Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>lol more letifer-verse won this months poll and the peeps over in the dbh discord were kind enough to help me come up with the premise. hope yall enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Responding to a B&amp;E call an hour before clocking out wasn’t Gavin’s idea of a good time. Hell, it wasn’t even in the top fifty. Add onto it the need to go downtown to the ritziest part of Detroit and it had all the makings of Gavin’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>least </span>
  </em>
  <span>favorite type of call, and that wasn’t even factoring in the early spring sunset blinding him the whole drive there. Why the hell had he thought taking a day shift would be a good idea again? Nines had him so used to the dark that functioning in the light just plain sucked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re expected upstairs, Detective Reed,” the snooty looking receptionist reported to him when he finally reached the luxury condo development his GPS had brought him to. She held out a scarily manicured hand and gestured to a set of gleaming elevator doors across the pristine lobby. “Top floor penthouse. Buzz and you’ll be let in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Absolutely unreal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Gavin muttered, following her gracious hand. Where the hell even was he? The marble floor and gold filigree was about as familiar to him as the Latin script sprawling beneath a few statues tucked into the corners of the lobby. He pulled out his phone as he stabbed the call button to the elevator. The details of his case were still up, vague and a bit worrisome now that he actually took a look around the place. There was something strange about this whole thing, but for the life of him he couldn’t put his finger on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can’t believe you’re sleeping through this, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gavin texted, rattling off the message while the elevator took him up, up, up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The lobby was bigger than our entire apartment. How much do you wanna bet the owners are some uptight pricks in housecoats? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No response came. Nines was sleeping the sleep of the dead right now, and while it was a little annoying Gavin wasn’t sleeping right alongside him too, it couldn’t be helped much. Staffing shortages and a surprise maternity leave left the day shift with one detective too few to get by. Nines obviously couldn’t fill in, so that left Gavin to squint his way into the sunlight and take care of things alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not for long though, he hoped. It was nearly time for the sun to go down. Another ten or twenty minutes and he’d have a reply. God, he really wished it was dark already. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin looked down at his phone as the elevator took him higher and higher, all the way up to the penthouse at the top. He missed Nines. Missed having his acerbic voice in his ear, commenting on things and laughing in that silent way of his. Dusk wasn’t far away, but with Nines all the way across town and a full day of solo patrolling on his shoulders, Gavin felt his absence a little too strongly. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let me know when you wake up, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he typed just as the elevator began to slow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe we can meet somewhere for dinner once I’m done with the rich stiffs. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He hadn’t managed to grab lunch and he was starving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pocketed his phone as the door opened, depositing him in a sleek hall that only had one door. He moved towards it, a bit unsettled by how quiet it was. They were in the middle of downtown, and even this high up sounds of the city traffic tended to permeate the highrises. It went to show how thick the glass was, how much money had gone into making this place into the fancy ass retreat it was. Gavin stood in front of the door and thumbed the buzzer as he was told. He resisted the urge to tap his foot as he waited. He hoped this would be a quick process. So much fancy shit was sure to give him hives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a minute or two for someone to finally answer the door, and when it opened, Gavin was hard pressed not to burst into laughter at the sight of a well coiffed man wearing… a fucking housecoat. He stood a few inches taller than Gavin, sleek hair and piercing blue eyes a sobering counterpart to the ritzy image he presented. He looked over Gavin with no lack of confusion. Gavin threw on a smile. Lovely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good evening, sir,” he started, reaching into his pocket to pull out his badge. “I’m Detective Reed. I believe there was a break in reported at your residence earlier this afternoon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment those sharp blue eyes just stared at him in utter incomprehension. Then, a spark of recognition flickered into place. “Oh. Right. The… break in,” the man said slowly, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Do come in, Detective.” He turned to the side and glanced at an expensive wrist watch as he let Gavin through the door. “It’ll just be a few minutes, if you don’t mind waiting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A few minutes? I’m just here to take stock of what was stolen,” Gavin pressed, following the man inside. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the place nice. Penthouse, huh? He couldn’t say he’d ever been in one before, but it was a little insane just how big the foyer was. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll get started.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man closed the door behind them and moved around Gavin. Gavin didn’t miss how he grimaced as he dragged a hand through his hair. “Detective, I don’t believe you understand the problem here. My… partner was the one who called in the incident.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin squinted at a shelf of fancy looking books. Man, it was dark in here. All the blinds were carefully closed, the only light coming from a few dim lamps scattered around the room. “Oh? Can I speak to your partner then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s… currently still asleep.” The man cleared his throat. “Do you… not know who I am, Detective?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in his tone had Gavin stiffening. He looked away from the books and took in the man carefully. Rich, sleek, polished. He probably should know who this was but he’d never been good at keeping up with the society pages. This guy was… young looking though. He couldn’t be much older than mid-thirties. An embroidered EK teased him from the right breast of his fancy housecoat. EK. Why did that seem familiar?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, can’t say I do,” Gavin said carefully, wondering if there was something more to this situation than a simple B&amp;E. The report had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>vague. So vague in fact that it was a little out of character. Who the hell sent him a report without putting the victim’s name on it first? “Should I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A door opened somewhere deeper in the apartment. The man sighed with something like relief coloring his pale features. “That would be Connor,” he said as he moved towards the far hall. “Make yourself comfortable, Detective Reed. I’ll just go fetch him.” The guy disappeared before Gavin could say anything else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh.” Weirder and weirder. Gavin walked further into the room and trailed his fingers along the back of a stretched leather chair. It probably cost more than a month of his rest, that chair, so he couldn’t really blame someone for breaking into a place like this. Though… there really didn’t seem to be any sign of a break in. Not in this room at least. Oh, God. He hoped they weren’t the asshole richie-rich types to call in a maid squad after something like that </span>
  <em>
    <span>before </span>
  </em>
  <span>calling the police to report the crime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard voices coming from down the hall. They didn’t sound angry, but they definitely sounded energetic. Gavin drummed his fingers against the back of the chair and made his way over to the curtained wall-length window. He peeked behind the curtain and saw the city from on high, the glittering lights brightening the nightscape until it barely looked different than it did during the day. Nines would be waking up any minute now. God, he couldn’t wait to see him. Working with him every night had spoiled him rotten; just one day apart and he already felt like they’d been apart for an eternity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Footsteps. More voices, finally a bit more discernible. Gavin turned away just as Mr. EK emerged from the hall. “Sorry for the wait,” he apologized once more, moving across the room to where a newspaper was resting on one of the leather backed chairs. The man sat himself down and began to unfold the paper. “He’ll just be a moment more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really only need to see where the robbery took place,” Gavin tried, the sticky suspect feeling growing all the more heavy as he looked at the man making himself comfortable. “If this is a bad time…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not,” a new voice called out, and Gavin’s head pivoted back towards the hall. Another man emerged in sweatpants and a long sleeve baseball tee, hair mussed and still rubbing at his eyes. Gavin’s jaw dropped. “Sorry, sorry. I’m not the best at rising early. You’re probably so confused about all of this runaround. Can I get you something to drink, Gavin? Wait. Can I call you Gavin, or would you prefer Detective Reed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still gaping, Gavin couldn’t quite formulate a response. He was a little too struck by the man in front of him. By this… doppelganger of Nines, standing in front of him barefoot and sleep-mussed. But that wasn’t right, was it? This wasn’t a doppelganger. This was… Connor. And the man behind him, reading the paper was— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… Gavin?” Connor called out, taking a step closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin didn’t say a word. He just reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor furrowed his brows. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin turned to the side, holding up a finger as he tapped the screen a few times and brought the phone to his ear. Two rings went by before a sleepy voice answered, “Gavin? What do you want?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning, sunshine. Your brother and his sugar daddy kidnapped me,” Gavin said flatly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. He leapt out of forward and waved his hands like an air traffic controller. “Don’t tell him that!” the vampire hissed, throwing a desperate look at the other man. That must have been Elijah Kamski then. Jesus fucking Christ, Gavin’s unfamiliarity with Detroit’s social elite was going to be the death of him one of these days. “Elijah, tell him he isn’t being kidnapped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nines’s tinny voice exploded against his ear. Gavin drew back the phone as he shouted, “What do you mean, they kidnapped you? Where are you?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dearest, please leave me out of this,” Elijah said from behind his newspaper. “As devoted as I am to you, I do draw the line at falsely involving the police just so you can meet your brother’s beau.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin nearly choked on his own spit at that. Nines absolutely took it the wrong way. Over the line he could hear the sound of furious stomping, shuffling, and swearing. “I’m downtown at the Towers. Are you…” He heard the sound of the dryer opening. Yep. Nines was getting dressed as fast as vampircally possible. “Hey, if you’re going to rush down here at least feed Tildie first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear to fucking god, I’m going to kill him,” Nines delivered in response. The dryer door slammed shut; Gavin made a mental note to check it for dents once he got back home. But, he did hear the sound of cat food rattling its way into a food bowl. Tildie’s emphatic meows created a terrifying backdrop to Nines’s growling threats. “Just stay right there. Don’t listen to anything they say. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin knew from experience that it took at least a half hour to drive from their apartment to here. He decided not to question it though; he had a feeling he wouldn’t want to know how Nines planned on cutting down on the commute. “Alright then,” he said, leaving it at that. “See you soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t hang u—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin hung up and turned back to Connor. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He could really see the resemblance between them now, especially since Connor was pouting like a disappointed five year old. Arms crossed, mouth all scrunched, glaring— Nines always looked the same when Gavin got him worked up over something at work or said no to his perpetual plea of them adopting another cat to give Tildie some company. It soothed some of the anxiety in his belly, that look. It reminded him that this was Nines’s brother, not some random vampire. He was safe here. It was fine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Gavin said when Connor just kept glaring at him. “You couldn’t just ask like a normal person if I wanted to get to know you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor even scoffed like Nines. Just like Nines, it didn’t hold any weight when his fangs were dulled with domesticity. “As if my brother would ever let you come if he knew about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty slick of you to call in the B&amp;E while he was still asleep. Did you pull some strings so it’d be me reporting in on it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One of our employees did,” Connor said with a shrug. A conspicuous rustle of newsprint spoke of Elijah Kamski’s own involvement in the scheme. “It wasn’t that difficult to make it happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You know, you’d fit the bill for evil mastermind a lot more if you weren’t standing here in your pjs and bedhead.” It made sense that Connor had only just woken up; Nines had as well, since the sun had just gone down. He looked over at Mr. EK. “Hey, you. Kamski, right? Elijah Kamski? Why the hell were you walking around before? Aren’t you all useless until the sun goes down?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The answering sigh rustled the newspaper. As he turned a page, Elijah answered, “I’m much older than any vampire you’ve met before, Detective. Some of us don’t require as much sleep once we meet a certain age.” He glanced around the edge of the paper. “Connor, dear, if you’ve got something to say to him I’d suggest you do it now. Your brother won’t be long and I’d really prefer not to incite an argument before we’ve had breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And here Gavin had thought Elijah Kamski, the sower of Nines’s misery, would have been an asshole. He was just a cranky old man from what he could tell, and that was unexpectedly hilarious. Hilarious, but that didn’t change much. Gavin flicked through his phone until he came to his police report. If all of this was just a ruse to get him here alone, he’d be in for it once he got back to work and had nothing to give them in regards to why he’d driven down here on company time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. Um. Alright.” Connor fussed with his hair, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This your first time kidnapping a cop?” Gavin guessed. “Take your time. I’m sure it’s natural to be nervous the first time around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor stopped prevaricating. His awkward demeanor shifted, sharpened. “It’s our first time meeting, Detective,” he said crisply, losing some of that softness from before. “You’re important to my brother. Excuse me if I’m not sure how to proceed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could start by telling me what you want,” Gavin figured. “Because I still don’t know why I’m here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crossing his arms, Connor glowered at the floor. “Can I not meet the man my brother fought to stay with? It’s been a long time since Nines has trusted anyone enough to get close to them, let alone move in with them. I may not have been the best older brother in the past, but there are some things I can’t just ignore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, wonderful. If this was a shovel talk, he literally might end up six feet under before Nines could swoop in and come to his rescue. “That’s all well and good, but I think there were better ways to go about getting face time with me,” Gavin said critically, fixing Connor with his sternest cop-look. Vampires respected backbone, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor shrugged his shoulders. “Probably,” he agreed, managing a wry smile. “But it worked, so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. Would you like a drink, Detective? How about you take a seat and we can chat before Nines breaks down the door.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin sighed. He glanced at his phone and checked the time. Nines would be here in about ten minutes. “Y’know what? What the hell.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket and made his way over to one of the chairs. “You got anything that isn’t blood in this place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor wandered over to a wet bar and made himself busy with the bottles. “Are you a whiskey man or a gin man, Detective?” he asked. “And while we’re on the topic, what are your intentions towards my brother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Play nice, Connor,” warned Elijah from behind his newspaper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor turned around and shot them both an angelic smile, one Gavin had never seen Nines make before and was thankful for the fact. “Oh, I’ll be nice,” he said, pouring Gavin a glass of something amber without taking his eyes off him. “So long as the Detective answers correctly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin eyed the drink with renewed intensity. A trickle of cold sweat threatened to break out along his forehead. Maybe… this wasn’t as innocent a visit as he first anticipated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt every single one of those ten minutes before Nines pounded on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Elijah who stood up to answer it, probably worried that Nines might break through it if someone didn’t get up and let him in within ten seconds or less. Nines practically spilled into the room, hair awry and shirt on backwards, nostrils flared as he scoured the sitting room until he met eyes with Gavin across the way. Gavin froze, his half-drunk drink poised at his lips. Connor was curled up in the chair opposite of him, sitting like a teenager but with an intensity in his eyes that belonged in a boardroom (or maybe on the executioner’s block). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Gavin said dumbly, tongue tingling with the high quality bourbon coating his mouth. “You’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Connor,” Nines hissed, flat out ignoring Elijah as he stomped his way over to their little sitting area. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor twisted around in his chair, his legs folded beneath him, and smiled brightly at his brother. “Good evening, Nines,” he said with an undue amount of chipper levity. “I’m just getting acquainted with your boyfriend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin sank into the insanely comfortable seat, wishing it was a little plusher so he could hide himself inside it when Nines’s intense glare transferred over to him. He quickly drained the rest of his glass and set it down on the table next to him. “Hey, babe,” he croaked. “You got here fast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He probably hadn’t needed to, now knowing what Gavin did. The conversation hadn’t been all that dire for a shovel talk. Definitely not the worst he’d ever been given, and Connor probably wasn’t quite as bloodthirsty as he should’ve been, everything considered. When the worst question he asked was </span>
  <em>
    <span>what are your intentions towards my brother? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gavin considered it a win. At least he wasn’t dislocating a thumb this time around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Nines reached for him, Gavin went willingly. He let Nines pull him out of his chair and against his side. “Hey, it’s fine,” he whispered, squeezing Nines’s wrist. “Really. It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it isn’t,” Nines snapped, rounding on his brother. “Seriously, Connor? You kidnapped him while I was asleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like you would’ve brought him over here for brunch if I’d asked,” Connor snapped back, and God, when they were angry they </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>looked like twins. “I’m just trying to see what kind of guy he is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what business is that of yours?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor rose out of his chair. He was shorter than Nines by half a head but didn’t let that stop him as he grinded out, “I’m your big brother, Nines. I’m not going to let you get hurt again now that I can do something about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grip Nines had on Gavin’s wrist loosened, just a tad. Gavin looked down at his hand, then at his face. Nines was biting his lip and looking at the floor. “You could’ve just asked,” he said quietly, almost bitterly. Gavin’s hand twinged as Nines clutched him tight once more. “Don’t scare me like that again, Connor. If you wanted to meet him that bad, you should’ve just asked me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah. Right. The last time Gavin had called Nines with something like that, he’d been on his way to a murder house. How much of that did Connor know? All of it? Just some? Gavin knew that they had been talking more, trying to reconnect bit by bit, but those sorts of details… Maybe if Connor had known he wouldn’t have chosen to have them meet like this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we all just need to try this again sometime,” Gavin cut in, severing the tension before it could grow any heavier. “I mean, it’s not like you guys need to eat or anything, but I like dinner. What about you? We can try that sometime, someplace nice and casual. No kidnapping, but maybe more alcohol.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alcohol?” Nines muttered, lifting his eyes off the floor. He sniffed pointedly. “How much did he liquor you up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much,” Connor said just as Gavin muttered, “Enough to be embarrassing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them paused, staring at one another. Connor pursed his lips and Gavin just colored messily. He’d said a little too much about how much he liked Nines. If he were fortunate, Connor wouldn’t repeat any of it while he was within earshot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like that, Nines?” Connor asked, tearing his attention away from Gavin. “We could go somewhere quiet. I think it’s about time we did something together, all four of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nines grimaced. “We’ll talk about it,” he muttered. From the way Connor lit up, Gavin figured that was further than he’d ever gotten before on the topic. Nines squeezed Gavin’s hand and tugged him in the direction of the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m parked illegally outside. I’m going to take my boyfriend home now, if you’re done with your interrogation.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got what I needed out of him for the moment.” Connor waved them off even as he walked them towards the door. Elijah was still standing near it, probably keeping close in case anyone tried to make a hasty retreat and presented a risk of breaking through the wood instead of opening it properly. “I’ll call you later about setting up a date, Nines. Don’t try to ignore me this time when I call.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, Connor,” he sighed, giving Elijah only the barest hint of a nod as he opened the door for them. “Don’t pull this shit again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was, uh, nice meeting you,” Gavin rushed as he was tugged through the door. “Thanks for the drink?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for humoring me, Detective,” Connor called after him, leaning against Elijah who embraced him eagerly. “Love you, Nines.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gavin let Nines pull him out of the penthouse. Maybe it was the alcohol that made him passive. Maybe it was just the intensity in which Nines cared about him. Either way, he felt a smile creep onto his face. Nines’s “Love you, Connor,” was considerably harder to make out, but Gavin was near him, so he heard it through the grumbly growl. What a crazy family he’d lashed himself to. And here he had thought the vampirism was the most thrilling part of dating Nines. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m never taking a day shift again,” Gavin sighed, leaning against Nines’s shoulder as they entered the elevator and made their way down the thirty-odd floors. His ears popped on the way down. “Remind me to never be a team player again. It’s not worth the overtime.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a good idea to me.” A cool arm wrapped around him, supporting Gavin as he closed his eyes. Nines pressed a kiss to Gavin’s temple, furtive and belying the anxiety he’d been trying so hard not to show. “Back home then?” Gavin really didn’t want to think about how many traffic violations Nines performed to get here in record time. It was flattering on one level, but incredibly worrisome on the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Gavin still shrugged, a little too tired to give him hell over it right now. “Kinda hungry. You up for dinner?” A notification chimed from the depths of Nines’s back pocket. Gavin lifted his head off Nines’s shoulder. “Who is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nines scowled. “Connor.” He opened the message, scanning the contents. His brows tracked higher and higher until he snorted and looked at Gavin. “He wanted to apologize to you for bringing you here under false pretenses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he couldn’t have done it while I was up there?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nines snorted again and showed Gavin his phone. Gavin leaned over it, scanning the message skeptically. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please have the Detective accept this as an apology for dragging him over like that. Get him something to eat. I could hear his stomach growling the entire time we spoke. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A link followed. Gavin glanced at Nines as he was handed the phone. Weird. He tapped the link just as the elevator reached the bottom floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors opened. Nines began to exit the elevator but Gavin was rooted to the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The link took him to a screenshot. The familiar look of his banking app greeted him, his name nestled at the top. But, where his usual pathetic balance sat was a different number. A new number. A really, really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>big number. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did he just—” Gavin croaked, the phone threatening to slip out of his fingers. “Did he just hack my bank account and give me five thousand dollars? Is this… Is this fucking hush-money?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nines, gracious, beautiful Nines, took back his phone before Gavin broke it. “Where do you want to go for dinner?” Nines laughed, lacing his fingers with Gavin’s shaking ones. “I’m thinking somewhere expensive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gavin croaked, wondering if it would make him an asshole to get kidnapped by the Kamskis’ more often. “Sounds… Sounds good to me.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>they are all such huge idiots. god, ive missed them.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>